Gracht in Amersfoort in de herfst 1907

Wijnand Otto Jan Nieuwenkamp made this etching, called “Gracht in Amersfoort in de herfst”, but without a date. It’s an amazing array of teeny tiny lines. Every part of it seems so equally weighted, without a clear focal point, which is an interesting choice. What I notice most is that it’s mostly lines. I love how the lines create a texture that feels like a memory more than a description. They remind me of Van Gogh, who was also interested in the mark-making qualities of line, and of course he was Dutch too, just like Nieuwenkamp. Look at the roofs of those buildings, the way each tile is carefully inscribed. Or the trees, with thousands of tiny leaves, creating a canopy that almost obscures the sky. The texture in the water, made with such a density of hatching, makes the surface look incredibly dense. It’s a lot to take in, but I find it calming, almost meditative, because the evenness of the marks settles my mind. There is no right or wrong way to look at it.